KENNEBUNK — Against a Cape Elizabeth squad that had conceded just three goals in its first six games, the Kennebunk boys soccer team knew that taking its chances in front of net ”“ if and when presented with them ”“ would be imperative against the Capers on Monday night.

The Rams did see limited opportunities, compiling just six shots on goal. But they also put three of them in, and along with a composed performance at the back from goalie Ben Wilson (nine saves), that was more than enough to top Cape 3-0 in a Western Maine Conference game at Veterans Memorial Field.

“Finishing our chances was the difference today,” said Kennebunk forward Robby Burns, who scored once in either half. “We took ours, and our goalie did a good job of keeping theirs out.”

It was in stark contrast to Kennebunk’s previous game, a 0-0 draw with York last Thursday in which the Rams created plenty of opportunities but couldn’t convert.

“We said last Thursday we thought we’d played one of the better games we’d played all season in terms of communication and keeping our spacing,” Burns said. “We built on that today and just finished our chances.”

After a tame first 13 minutes Monday, Burns got Kennebunk (5-2-1) on the board with 26:27 left in the first half, starting when he won a free kick 40 yards out from the Cape (2-3-1) goal.

Stephen Price lofted a high ball into the middle of the box, and Burns rose above the Capers’ Eddie Galvin to push a seeing-eye header through the legs of another Cape defender and past the diving attempt of goalkeeper Austin Andrews.

“It’s all about just getting off your man because a lot of the other defenders don’t know you’re coming in,” Burns said. “You make one move and get by him, and then hope the ball’s going where your run is going. It’s just about finding where the ball is going and getting in there without a defender right next to you.”

It remained 1-0 into the second half, when after an early effort by the Rams’ Ryan Keefe struck the post, Cape started to impose its will, pounding five shots at Wilson and generally keeping Kennebunk pinned into its own half over the first 24 minutes.

But with 15:23 to play, the Rams got some breathing room thanks to another Burns tally.

The move started with some hard work by Spencer Thibodeau to close down a Cape defender and deflect the ball to teammate Dany Reyes Caballero, who sent a cross into the Capers’ box. The ball took a deflection off an oncoming Andrews ricochet and it bounced to Burns, who stretched to hit a shot that deflected off a Cape defender and in.

“It’s always nice to get some of those,” Burns said. “That’s when you know as a goal-scorer everything’s kind of going your way, when you get a little lucky.”

Cape regained the initiative after the second goal, but again it was the Rams who found the back of the net with 7:12 left, when Griffin Drigotas beat a Capers defender to a long ball, cut back across another and then curled a left footed-shot from 25 yards out just past the fingertips of a lunging Andrews and inside the far post.

“We’ve been waiting for Griffin to get going, and that was a lovely goal,” Kennebunk coach Nate Bean said. “That bodes well for us down the road because he’s a talented kid, and that’s a great finish.”

In total, the Rams were outshot 7-3 in the final 40 minutes, but both Burns and Bean said it was a positive sign to close out a game despite being on the back foot for most of the second half.

“The whole second half I think they played better, which was concerning, but we held it together,” Burns said. “Past (Kennebunk) teams have lost their composure in the second half, so it was good to see. That’s definitely been the difference this year for us ”“ putting it away.”

“We’ve been talking all year about things being tight,” Bean added. “Every night in this league it’s a tough match and that’s another really, really good team. To be able to put in a couple late and put a game away, that’s a good experience for these guys to have.”

— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323.